Pan-fried Pork Buns is known as Sheng Jian Bao in Chinese, meaning pan-fried directly without steaming. This is a very popular Chinese street snack across the whole county. However Shanghai style might be the most famous version. If you love Chinese dumplings, check Xiao Long Bao too. There are actually several versions popular in China and the differences mainly in the wrapper. Traditional version has a more fluffy texture and thicker wrapper. A new popular version with thinner, chewier wrapper is achieved by the hot boiling water dough (烫面).

The wrapper dough for shengjian is semi-fermentation dough, similar to the bread of Roujiamo (肉夹馍). So it is quite quick to make comparing with traditional steamed buns.

Cook’s Note

Knead the dough for a long time until very smooth, so the smooth of the buns can be smooth too.
Let the assembled dough rest in room temperature for at least 15 minutes before pan-frying.
Use slow fire when frying the buns in the initial time, then slightly turn up the fire after adding the water. After 3-4 minutes of simmering, slow the fire again. The bottom can be overcooked very easily, so be carefully and move the pan for a more even fire.
Watch out when eating as the filling can be extremely hot.

To make the filling

Add hot water to ginger, scallion and Sichuan peppercorn to make the ginger scallion water.

Add the pork, salt, ground pepper, sugar, soy sauce, cooking wine and oyster sauce in. Blend for 2-3 minutes with stopping. Then add ginger and scallion water by 2 batches. Blend until the water is completely absorbed.

Transfer the filling out, mix with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Then chop the pork jelly and mix well.

To make the wrapper:

Melt sugar and yeast in water. Stir to flour and combine well. Add pinch of salt and vegetable cooking oil. Use one hand to push the dough and then pull back, change another hand to repeat the process. Use the two hands alternately. You should use the strength of the whole body and knead the dough forcefully. After 5-8 minutes of kneading, the dough should be quite smooth and shinning in appearance.

Cover the dough and rest for 15 minutes until slightly softened. Cut the dough into halves. Wrap and transfer the other half in fridge. And re-knead one half for 2-3 minutes. Shape the dough into a long log and then cut into 12 equal portions. Roll each of the portion to large wrappers and then assemble well. Make sure the buns is completely sealed. After assembling, let the buns rest for another 15 minutes.

Add around 2 tablespoon of oil in a non-sticky pan, and place the buns in. Start frying with very slow fire (the bottom can be burnt very quickly) and move your pan from time to time. After 1 or 2 minutes, the bottom will be hardened and brown. Commonly, the pleated is downside to get the crispy bottom, but I recommend trying with pleated side upside since the juice may come out during the pan-frying process is the bun is not well wrapped.

Pour in hot water (around 1/2 cup) and cover the lid and simmer for 6 minutes with slow fire. Sprinkle black sesame and green onion in the last minute.

Transfer out and enjoy, be carefully with the running filling. It can be extremely hot. Look at the juicy filling. Watch your tongue.